A large serpentine block discovered in a gravel quarry in the state of Veracruz, Mexico is carved with 62 glyphic signs and appears to be the oldest form of a written language discovered in the Americas.
The incised block was first seen by archaeologists in 1999, when researchers from INAH visited the site of Cascajal, an archaeological site which has been used for some years as a gravel quarry. As a result, the context is in pretty bad shape; most of the site has been severely damaged by quarrying activity for road construction, although there is evidence for at least four mounds and an open area. It is apparent that Cascajal has at least two primary components, one Early Formative (San Lorenzo phase, ca 1200-900 BC) and one Terminal Classic (Villa Alta phase, AD 800-900). The block is believed by researchers to have been made ca. 900 BC.
Read the article on the Cascajal Block. The Cascajal Block was reported in Science magazine on 15 September 2006.
The incised block was first seen by archaeologists in 1999, when researchers from INAH visited the site of Cascajal, an archaeological site which has been used for some years as a gravel quarry. As a result, the context is in pretty bad shape; most of the site has been severely damaged by quarrying activity for road construction, although there is evidence for at least four mounds and an open area. It is apparent that Cascajal has at least two primary components, one Early Formative (San Lorenzo phase, ca 1200-900 BC) and one Terminal Classic (Villa Alta phase, AD 800-900). The block is believed by researchers to have been made ca. 900 BC.
Read the article on the Cascajal Block. The Cascajal Block was reported in Science magazine on 15 September 2006.
Images 1-8 of 8
- The Cascajal BlockSide view of Cascajal block, Veracruz, Mexico.
- Unretouched Photograph of the Block's Front ViewImage of the Cascajal block, Veracruz, Mexico.
- Enhanced Photograph of the Cascajal BlockFrontal view of Cascajal block, Veracruz, Mexico.
- The Cascajal BlockCascajal Block: Epigraphic Drawing
- Cascajal Closeup 1Cascajal Closeup: Earliest Writing in Americas?
- Enlarged View of the Cascajal BlockCascajal Closeup: Earliest Writing in Americas?
- Enlargement of a Portion of the Cascajal BlockCascajal Closeup: Earliest Writing in Americas?
- Cascajal Closeup 4Cascajal Closeup: Earliest Writing in Americas?
- Graphic Index
- Text Index
